Space band cleaning machine



w. P. DoNEHowER 2,865,035

SPACE BAND CLEANING MACHINE Dec. 23, 1958 Filed Sept. 1'7. 1956 A T TORNEY INVENTOR W/LL/AM P. DONEHOWER WN NN nited States Patent 2,865,035 Y SPACE BAND CLEANING MACHINE William P. Donehower, Folsom, Pa., assgnor to Maurice H. Hartzell and Blanche D. Hartzell, Chester, Pa.

Application September 17, 1956, Serial No. 610,085

9 Claims. (Cl. 15-102) This invention relates generally to space -band cleaning machines.

`In the use of space bands, type metal adheres to the surface thereof and it has always been difficult to completely and effectively remove this metal and polish the band.

It is an object of my invention to provide improved means for cleaning and polishing the space bands as they pass through the machine.

My improved cleaning and polishing apparatus is fshown, preferably, in a space band machine of the gen- .eral type disclosed in the application of Maurice H. Hartzell, Serial No. 488,673, tiled February 16, 1955, now Patent No. 2,775,777, issued Jan. 1, 1957, although it will be apparent from the disclosure herein that my apparatus may be broadly employed in -other types of space band machines.

I accomplish my new mode of operation and results by the provision of -a horizontally vibratory cleaning surface disposed, preferably, in cooperative relationship to a stationary cleaning surface and the space bandis pressed downwardly on the vibratory and stationary surfaces as the band moves longitudinally through the machine.

A further object of my invention is to provide a relatively simple and effective means for vibrating the vibratory cleaning surface and to have it so arranged that it is economical in construction, operation and maintenance and requires only minimum space so that it may be employed in a compact manner.

Other objects and advantages will -be more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section of a space band cleaning machine showing my vibratory surface and yoperating mechanism therefor;

Fig. 2 is a partial transverse section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a space band showing it being pulled through the machine.

The space band cleaning machine disclosed herein is of the general chain feeding type shown in Donehower Patent No. 2,688,413 and in said Hartzell pending application. Hence, it will suffice to describe only that portion of such type of machine as is necessary to an understanding of my present invention. The chain type of machine employs a stationary longitudinally extending iiat member 1 on whose upper surface space bands 2 are pulled lengthwise -by chain means, specifically shown as a pair of endless chains 3 and 4, extending around usual sprockets at each end of the machine and having return strands as at 5 at the underside of the member 1. The chains have lateral lugs a extending inwardly and downwardly for engaging usual lateral ears b of the space bands to pull the same through the machine. A stationary continuation 6 of the member 1 is preferably a polishing composition of wood or brake lining material over which the space bands travel while being held in contact therewith during the cleaning operation. The member 6 is provided with an elongated rectangular opening 7 in which I provide a horizontally vibratory cleaning portion 8 preferably of wood or -other suitable material. This cleaning portion 8 is suitably held by screws or other means to -a vibratory supporting structure 9 which has supporting ears 10 and 11 suitably guided in brackets 12 and 13. As shown in Fig. 3, these brackets are suitably connected by cap screws 14 to the stationary frame 15 on which the members 1 and 6 are supported. The guides 12 and 13 allow the supporting structure 9 to be reciprocated longitudinally. The reciprocation is, preferably, eifected by a pair of pawl arms 16 and 17 extending downwardly as a rigid integral part of the member 9, these arms having transversely extending V-shaped followers 18 and 19 which alternately engage the serrations 20 of a wheel 21 journalled on a shaft 22. This shaft is suitably supported in the frame 23 of the machine. The serrated teeth are of odd number so that when V-shaped follower 19 is fully seated between two teeth the other follower 18 is completely removed and is substantially in line with the peak of one of the teeth on the opposite side whereby rotation of the serrated wheel 21 will cause the follower 19 to be moved outwardly by -a cam-like action thereby moving the follower 18 into the valley between its adjacent teeth, and Vice versa as the Wheel continues to rotate. This produces a longitudinal vibratory action of the cleaning surface 8. To drive the serrated wheel, sprockets 25 and 26 are mounted on the side of the serrated wheel 21 and are engaged by the lower return strands S of the feeding chain. Hence, it is seen that the chains function not only to move the bands along the cleaning surfaces and over the vibratory member 8 but also to eiect the vibratory action.

-I utilize in combination with the vibratory portion 8 a superimposed presser foot and chain 28 which is described in detail in said Hartzell application. By this arrangement I am able to utilize the yieldable presser foot 29 Iand a spring finger 30 to engage the top of the band to press it into rm engagement with the vibratory cleaning member 8 as the chains pull the band along. The band is substantially prevented from vibrating horizontally with the surface 8 by means such as finger 30 offering enough resistance longitudinally suiiicient to check or reduce any tendency to vibrate with member 8. Or, preferably, such checking means also broadly includes the chain lugs a which, in case the speed of the feeding is made greater than the speed of vibration of member 8, will cause the chain lugs a to maintain continuous contact with the band ears b while pulling the bands over the vibratory surface. The chain means 3 and 4 continue to move the band horizontally over the subsequent stationary cleaning surface 6. Thus it is seen that the presser foot and finger action has a highly effective cooperative relation with the longitudinally vibratory member 8 by holding the space band down so as to insure that any typographical metal adhering to the space band will be effectively removed by the combined vibratory action and movement of the band continuously over the vibratory cleaning surface. After this vibratory cleaning action has taken place the band then passes on to the stationary cleaning surface 6 so as to -be finally polished under a smooth dynamically quiescent environment. It is also seen that yby utilizing the return strands of the chains land the use of a pawl and ratchet type of mechanism in effecting the vibratory action, I have provided an extremely compact and simple mechanism that is economical in manufacture, maintenance and operation.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing 3 from the spirit of the invention as set forth in ,the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A space band cleaning machine comprising, in cornbination, means forming a horizontal cleaning surface, means for successively feeding space bands over said surface in a continuous movement longer than the length of the bands, means for horizontally vibrating said surface with a strolte less than the length of the continuous movement, and means for pressing .the bands down on said surface as they move thereover.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized by the provision of a horizontal stationary cleaning surface following the .vibratory surface whereby the space band is sequentially cleaned and polished by thc vibratory and stationary surfaces as the bands move thereover with an uninterrupted continuous movement.

3. The combination set forth'in claim 1 fu'rther characterized in that the means for pressing the bands down has provision for preventing the bands from vibrating with the vibratory surface.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that the means for pressing the bands down has provision for preventing bands from vibrating with the vibratory surface and includes a longitudinally extending and movable member overlying said cleaning surface so as to be engageable with the upper surface of the space band to hold the same down during its travel over the cleaning surface.

5. A space band cleaning machine comprising, in combination, a horizontally vibratory cleaning surface, means for feeding a space band horizontally along said surface, and means for preventing the band from vibrating with said vibrating surface while feeding along said surface.

6. The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that said means for vibrating said cleaning surface includes pawl and serrated wheel means engageable with each other, and means for actuating said wheel `to effect vibration of the pawl and consequently of the vibrating cleaning surface.

7. The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that said means for vibrating said cleaning surface includes a continuously rotatable serrated member and pawls operatively connected to said vibratory surface means, said pawls being alternately engageable with the serrations on opposite sides of the serrated wheel, thereby to effect reciprocatory vibration of the cleaning surface.

8.`The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that said means for vibrating said cleaning surface includes a continuously rotatable serrated member and pawls operatively connected to said vibratory surface means and being alternately engageable with thc serrations on opposite sides of the serrated wheel, thereby to effect reciprocatory vibration of the vibrating cleaning surface, and the feeding means for the space bands including longitudinally movable endless chain means, and means for rotating said serrated wheel by said chain means.

9. The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that said means for vibrating said cleaning surface includes a continuously rotatable serrated member and pawls operatively connected to said vibratory surface means, said pawls being alternately engageable with the serrations on opposite sides of the serrated wheel which has an uneven number of serrations so that when the pawl on one side is in engagement with the wheel the pawl on the other side is disengaged.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,131,639 Rock Sept. 27, 1938 2,231,196 Romyns Feb. 11, y19/1 2,439,911 Sofnas Apr. 20, 1948 2,775,777 Hartzell Ian. 1, 1957 

